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Foundations in Business

Elevate your career.

Expand your business acumen with this online certificate. Perfect for individuals who have never taken a business course or for those who could benefit from the refresher. Individuals in this program develop basic literacy in accounting, economics, finance, marketing, and organizational behavior.

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1 Program Details
2 Program Highlights
3 Admission & Tuition

Program Details

Requirements

The Foundations of Business certificate is open to anyone, with no application requirements or prerequisites, and it is available online to students across the world.

Curriculum

Students are Foundations of Business are able to complete the program’s full curriculum or sign up for the individual courses that meet their needs.

Individual Courses

Foundations in Accounting

This course reviews basic principles and application of financial and managerial accounting needed to develop an understanding of the materials. The course includes seven (7) lessons with readings, video and power point lectures, practice exercise, and self-assessment.

Competency Area Objectives
The topics covered are designed to help you achieve proficiency in the accounting competency area objectives measured in the course competency exam. Before you take the exam, you will be able to:

Identify basic concepts, terminology, and tools of financial and management accounting.
Appropriately apply accounting information to for-profit firms.
Analyze and interpret accounting information to make decisions about organizations, from both an external (i.e., investor) and an internal perspective (i.e., a manager of the firm).
Measure and analyze the efficiency and effectiveness with which a company executes its mission and goals
Use the language of business (i.e., accounting) to effectively communicate accounting viewpoints to management and subordinates.

Foundations in Economics

This course reviews basic principles and application of microeconomics and macroeconomics concepts needed to develop an understanding of the materials. This course is organized into 8 Lessons, with Lessons 1-4 covering microeconomic topics and Lessons 5-8 covering macroeconomic topics. Lessons consist of multiple short lecture videos on specific topics, suggested reading in the text, spreadsheet models, and short quizzes for checks on comprehension.

Competency Area Objectives
The topics covered are designed to help you achieve proficiency in the economics competency objectives measured in the course competency exam. Before you take the exam, you will be able to:

Apply the concepts of specialization, trade, and division of labor.
Apply the supply and demand and equilibrium model to determine prices and quantity.
Apply and interpret the costs of production.
Explain the behavior and organization of firms in various forms of competition.
Interpret and apply models of GDP, CPI, and unemployment to business and economic decision-making.
Explain and apply the model of loanable funds in determining real interest rates and economic growth.
Explain the role of the Federal Reserve in setting monetary policy and the effect on inflation.
Apply the aggregate demand and supply model in explaining short and long term economic fluctuations due to fiscal policy.

Foundations in Finance

This course reviews basic principles and application of Financial Management concepts needed to develop an understanding of the materials. This course includes five (5) lessons and is designed to be self-paced. It includes readings, video lectures, power points, practice exercises, and a practice exam at the end of the course.

Competency Area Objectives
The topics covered are designed to help you achieve proficiency in the financial competency area objectives. Before you take the exam, make sure you can:

Explain the relevance of value maximization as the primary organization goal.
Distinguish between accounting and cash flows.
Critically evaluate financial statements.
Demonstrate a basic understanding of working capital management
Apply time value of money concepts.

Foundations in Marketing

This course reviews basic principles and application of Marketing needed to develop an understanding of the materials. The course includes nine (9) lessons consisting of multiple short lecture videos on specific topics, suggested reading in the text and short quizzes for checks on comprehension. Make sure to read the notes pages for each power point lecture.

Explain the importance of the marketing function in the contemporary business organization.
Describe concepts and frameworks that help position a firm in its market environment and successfully establish a firm as a viable competitor in its targeted market(s).
Recognize the value of being customer-driven as an employee and as an organization
Identify marketing problems and apply appropriate marketing strategies and tools.

Foundations in Organizational Behavior

This material introduces people-focused issues that can be applied to any setting where people work together – whether it be a traditional for-profit business, a not-for-profit organization, a church, hospital, school, government organization, even an athletic team. No matter what the setting,

Organizational Behavior will help you to better understand the behavior of your coworkers, direct reports and your supervisor, and with that understanding comes an improved ability to work with people – which will not only help you to FEEL more confident on the job but also help you to BE more effective.

The course includes six (6) lessons with readings, video lectures, practice question, and self-assessment.

Explain how perceptions can influence behavior and interactions within a work setting.
Evaluate organizational practices to motivate employees and make recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of those practices.
Apply team performance and decision-making factors to improve team effectiveness.
Explain how to effectively exercise power and influence others.

Program Highlights

The Foundations in Business Certificate is a comprehensive program designed to provide a solid understanding of fundamental business concepts. Whether you aim to launch your own startup, advance in your current career, or embark on a new professional journey, this certificate program will equip you with the foundational knowledge you need to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.

Admission and Tuition

Admission

Students progress through the content at their preferred pace, accessing lectures, readings, and assignments on their schedule. Support channels are available for inquiries or assistance throughout their learning journey. Completion certificates are awarded upon fulfilling course requirements. The program’s rolling basis enrollment allows individuals to join and commence their studies at any time, offering flexibility and convenience. After completing the simple registration process, students have immediate access to the course(s). Individual courses and annual subscriptions can be accessed for 12 months from the registration date.

To complete the registration process, select the registration link for the specific course(s) or annual subscription from the curriculum list. If you do not have an account in Butler’s catalog platform, you will be promoted creating one. Once logged in, you will be able to select “enroll” and complete the payment process.

Tuition

Butler University offers two convenient enrollment options for the Foundations in Business program:

Option 1: Enroll in the full certificate program, gaining access to all relevant courses necessary to complete your certification in Foundations in Business.

Full Program Fee: $990

Option 2: For those looking to focus on specific areas of interest, we provide the option to purchase individual modules. This a la carte approach enables students to tailor their learning experience according to their specific needs or career objectives.

Individual Course Fee: $350